Light crude supply for US Gulf Coast refiners

The supply of light crude and condensate will begin to
overwhelm simple refining capacity in the US Gulf
Coast (USGC) and narrow spreads between Light Louisiana Sweet
(LLS) and Mars after 2014, according to ESAI Energys
five-year refining outlook. So far, the region
has managed the mismatch between refinery configuration and domestic
crude production by backing out light crude import volumes.
However, USGC refiners will likely eliminate light sweet
imports next year. With throughput growth also limited by
weaker exports of products to Latin America, USGC refiners will
struggle to process additional domestic light crude.

Subscribe now for premium access and unlimited access to the site, including archived articles and the process handbooks. Start a free trial to gain access to articles from the current issue of Hydrocarbon Processing.